Week : Address Bumps In The Road
Inching closer to 2 months and you may have experienced a few glorious nights of good sleep or restful afternoons of naps.
Just when youre feeling caught up on sleep yourself you might experience times when your baby is sleeping more like a 1 week old.
Things pop up in a newborns life for a variety of reasons. You might have a week of cluster feeding. Your baby might have digestive issues and get painful gas. You might experience colic with your newborn.
These situations put a halt on working towards regular sleep schedules or may put a damper on sleep altogether.
It may be easier said than done, but dont sweat it if youre not getting in your 10 am nap every day for the time being. Focus on taking care of your baby and figuring out what they need.
The good thing about newborns is that they are always changing and evolving and that means difficult phases dont last forever. Whatever bumps come your way things will smooth out.
Risks By Age In Months
The main risk of putting a baby to sleep on their side is that they will fall onto their stomach. When a baby is too young to support their head, this may mean that their face becomes stuck against the mattress, making it hard to breathe. Most babies can fully support and lift the head by the age of 4 months.
By about 3 or 4 months of age, many babies begin trying to roll over. Between 4 and 6 months, many can roll from their back to their stomach and then back again.
There is no need to roll a baby onto their back if they roll onto their side or stomach. A baby who can move into this position can turn out of it, as long as they are in a safe sleeping environment.
At about 6 months of age, many babies become more active sleepers, rolling throughout the night. However, it is still unsafe to put the baby to sleep on their side or stomach. If a baby rolls into this position, however, there is no need to wake or move them.
When Do Babies Learn To Sleep On Their Own
Each baby comes with their own set of joys and challenges what is easy for one kid may prove challenging for another. Every parents approach will vary when adjusting to their childs particular needs after all, nobody knows your child as you do.
In research, its been shown that most little ones have the capacity to sleep independently from the age of four months old. Good news, right? However, how quickly they go down and how content they are to do so will vary, so dont be discouraged, but there is verifiable hope.
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My Baby Was Born Prematurely And Slept On Her Front In Hospital Is It Okay To Sleep Her On Her Front At Home As Well
Some babies who were born very prematurely and spent some time in a neonatal unit may have been slept on their fronts for medical reasons. Remember that babies in neonatal units are under constant supervision. By the time your baby comes home they should be sleeping on their back.
Babies may find it hard to adjust from a sleeping position they have been used to, so persevere and do speak to your paediatrician if you are concerned. Front-sleeping should only be continued for on-going medical reasons on the advice of your paediatrician.
Catch Your Babys Sleep Window
This refers to monitoring your babys wake time, which is the amount of time awake that your baby would have before needing to rest again. In the first month a newborns wake time may only be around 35-40 minutes or so. At the first year mark, your baby may have a wake time of 2.5-3 hours before needing a rest.
I prefer to focus less on the actual number of 35-40 minutes of wake time, and more on the babys actual sleep cues. In the book The Baby Whisperer Solves All your Problems, Tracy Hogg talks about watching for sleepy cues.
A babys sleeping cue may come in the form of an eye rub, a yawn or a fuss. Keep your eyes peeled to determine what an appropriate wake time is for your child. Once you know your babys approximate wake time, it can help you gauge when to set the stage for sleep.
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Tips For How To Get Baby To Sleep
As baby grows and becomes more aware of their surroundings, its easy for them to cross that line between cautiously curious and decidedly overstimulated. In the first months of life, an infants social, emotional and intellectual skills are slowly maturing, says James McKenna, PhD, a professor of anthropology at the University of Notre Dame and director of the Mother-Baby Behavioral Sleep Laboratory. During these critical developmental years, new daily experiences can cause baby to construct new things to worry about, to be aware of, to think about and to be afraid of.
In other words, just like for Mom , babys daytime stressors can impact nighttime sleep. And that means baby craves the comfort only you can provide. So what can you do to help baby get some ZZZs? Here are some guidelines for how to get baby to sleep easier.
When To Lower The Crib Mattress
Many cribs have adjustable mattress heights that are designed to grow with your baby. Keep the mattress at the highest level when your little one is first born, when theres no risk of her standing up and climbing out of the crib .
Once shes able to sit up on her own or pull herself up to a standing position, itll be time to lower the mattress so she cant climb out.
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Can You Spoil A Baby By Holding Him Too Much
Spoiling a baby is relative.
After all, someone who enjoys holding her baby to sleep every time would certainly not object to doing so. In fact, she might even feel guilty for holding her baby, assuming shes doing a bad job by doing it so often.
So no, you cant spoil a baby by holding him too much.
Instead, the better question to ask is this: What expectations are you willing to set?
If youre okay with holding your baby, then by all means, continue doing so. But if you feel an imbalance between his needs and those of yours, your family, your work, and your home, then something needs to change.
It can be as simple as putting him down more throughout the daywhen he is awakeso he knows its also okay to be away from your arms. And of course, applying the tips you learned here to get him used to sleeping without being held.
Week 1: Move Beyond The 4th Trimester
3 months! A quarter of a year! Can you believe it?
You might have noticed the 4th-trimester essentials arent needed as much now that your newborn is 3 months old. Its okay to let these things go if your baby isnt needing them anymore.
Breaking out of the swaddle blanket? Your baby is starting to stretch out its limbs more! Sleepsacks or sleepers are a perfect replacement as it keeps your baby comfortable while they slumber.
Spitting out the pacifier? If its no longer needed to help with soothing let it go! You wont have to battle weaning your baby from the paci when they get older.
Any other 4th-trimester newborn sleep habits that dont seem necessary is okay to stop because your baby is growing.
Each week brings something different with your newborn. Parenthood is all about changing and adapting along with your baby. Try out these top 12 newborn sleep tips to get you through the first 3 months.
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Rd Month Newborn Sleep Tips
What Your Newborn Is Up To: Does time seem like its flying by yet it feels like your newborn has been a part of your family for a long time?
Thats the life of raising a baby!
So what things are in-store as your infant heads into 3 months?
You probably are beginning to hear more baby coos and see baby smiles. At this stage, babies tend to start interacting with you more. They take more interest in their toys and other stimuli. Their bodies are growing stronger and holding up their heads more. Perfect time to work on tummy time!
And sleep. Theres emerging predictability with newborns at this stage. This means you can begin to work on routines and developing healthy newborn sleep habits!
Use A White Noise Machine
White noise is a go-to tool for helping a newborn fall asleep. It is a compilation of sounds that has the same intensities. The audio provides babies with a calming effect by covering up other types of noise in the room. You can turn on the white noise machine once your baby falls asleep to help mask off the sound as you transfer them from your arms to the crib. This machine can also help a baby fall asleep, for it helps create the ideal sleeping environment for the little ones.
If you havent purchased one yet, check out .
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Stick To An Early Bedtime
When considering how to put a baby to sleep, timing is just as important as a routine. “At around 8 weeks, babies have a rise in melatonin, a drowsy-making hormone the body releases when it’s time for sleep, which means they’re ready for an early bedtime consistent with the sun setting,” says Turgeon. “If you keep them up late instead, they become overstimulated and harder to put down.”
Melatonin levels rise somewhere around sundown, but given that sundown can be anytime from 4:30 in winter to 8:30 in summer, stick to the clock and put your baby down around 6:30 or 7 p.m. for the most success. If the sun is still up, close the shades.
“A good sign of drowsiness is when the baby becomes calmthey’re less active, have a bored look, or just stare off,” says Turgeon. Don’t mistake this behavior as happiness for being awake. Seize the moment and start your bedtime routine. “The baby’s internal clock is telling them when to be awake and when to be asleep, and you want to reinforce that,” she notes.
What Is Baby Sleep Regression
A sleep regression is a period of time, usually lasting between two to six weeks, when your baby starts to wake frequently during the night she may seem to be actively refusing or fighting sleep after previously sleeping well. A sleep regression can occur at any time, but the most common sleep regressions happen at four, eight and 18 months. The four month sleep regression is the most common of these three.
Although it can feel like the last thing you and your baby need, your baby’s four month sleep regression is actually a sign that their sleep cycle is developing and she is reaching some important milestones developmentally.
So, although a sleep regression can feel like just that a regression to previous sleep behaviour it is actually the opposite in terms of what your baby is experiencing. She is starting to go through all four stages of sleep that we experience, rather than going straight from awake to deep sleep as she has been until now. The good news is that she is developing the sleep cycle that she will have for the rest of her life, so the regression really isn’t forever.
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Place Your Baby In The Crib Before They Fall Asleep
When learning how to put a baby to sleep, this tip is one of the most important. By putting your baby in their crib before they fall asleep , you help them form a positive sleep association, equating the crib with snoozes. By the same token, if your baby always falls asleep in your arms, they may struggle to sleep in the crib, as that wonât feel familiar. It may also result in your baby crying until you pick them up when waking during the night, because your arms are what theyâll associate with sleeping. To know when itâs time to put your baby in the crib, look out for sleep cues, such as
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drooping eyelids
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rubbing of the eyes
Remember to practice safe sleep for babies by always placing your little one on their back when you put them down in the crib for napping or sleeping. Also, make sure that their crib is free of loose bedding, blankets, pillows, and toys. These precautions help reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome .
You Can Survive The 4th Trimester
These helpful newborn sleep tips are broken down week by week to get you through this season. Infants change and grow so much and you need tips that change with them. When you hit the 12-week mark youll be able to look back and see how much your newborn grew!
Youll also be able to look back and see how your newborns sleep patterns have changed.
Until then take things one week at a time so you can focus on using the right newborn sleep tips at the right time when your baby needs them!
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Let Your Baby Work It Out
If you immediately rush in to help your munchkin fall back to sleep at the first noise you hear, you could be creating a cycle that will be hard to break. “As long as you know that they can’t be hungry, you can pause before rushing in,” says Turgeon, who recommends starting a “soothing ladder” from as early as day one. When you hear your baby fuss, pause for a minute and see if they can work it out themselves. “If they can’t, go in and do the least intrusive thingpat or shush but don’t pick them up,” says Turgeon. If that doesn’t work, you gradually climb the soothing ladder until you get them back to sleep.
“The point of the soothing ladder isn’t to make a baby learn to self-soothe overnight, but to give them enough space to allow their self-soothing skills to unfold naturally, over time,” says Turgeon. Plus, it may help you avoid a more traumatic cry-it-out situation down the road.
How Does Your Child Fall Asleep
If your child is not an independent sleeper, meaning they dont fall asleep on their own, you may be running into this issue in the middle of the night. Theyre laid down asleep but when they wake up needing some help. They dont realize they have to lay down for sleep to come or they really need your help getting back to sleep. This is where hiring a sleep consultant to help guide you through these challenges is beneficial.
Your child may be able to fall asleep independently, but now with this new skill, theyre having trouble laying down from a standing position. Again, this is new to them so they may not realize they need to lay down for sleep to come.
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So How Do You Move A Sleeping Baby Without Waking Them
In all honesty, there is no magic trick when it comes to moving a sleeping baby without waking them. Its the combination of perfect conditions, an ideal environment and a lot of patience that will allow you to move your sleeping baby without waking them. Below we have detailed some of the most important things to consider when trying to move your baby while their sleeping:
- Make Sure You Have Ideal Conditions: If you think your baby might be about to fall asleep, then make sure that you have done their pre-nap or night-time routine, so they have a lovely cosy sleeping environment. This routine can include making sure your baby is wearing comfortable, breathable clothes for sleeping in and if it is cold you could also try pre-heating their cot or bassinet with a hot water bottle as being put in a cold crib is a sure way to wake your baby up.
- Create a Quiet and Peaceful Environment: Do your best to make sure your baby falls asleep somewhere where there wont be any sudden or loud noises. Another good idea is to use a white noise machine turn it on as your baby is falling asleep and then as you transfer them as well, moving the machine into the space where you lay your baby down. A white noise machine can help to calm your baby, reducing the chances of them waking.
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Document When Your Baby Sleeps
Before rushing into deciding the exact time you want for bedtime, pay attention to your baby and their natural sleep cycle.
This can be pretty sporadic for newborns, but you may notice a pattern in their sleep and when they stay down for the longest. Work with these times, and document them as they change.
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Settling Your Baby In Their Bassinet
Now you know how to encourage your baby to sleep in their bassinet, but what does this actually look like in practise? Lets go through how you can get your baby to sleep in their bassinet…
Firstly make sure they have a feed during their awake time and wind them well after this. While feeding them right before their nap can make them sleepy you want to avoid feeding them to sleep. Remember, the aim is to have them fall asleep in their bed, rather than on the breast or in your arms. So feed them soon after they wake, when they are bright and alert.
After the appropriate amount of awake time, take them to their room and change their diaper. Swaddle them or pop them into their sleeping bag and then begin your wind down routine to get them ready for sleep. This may be singing some songs or reading a book, or having a cuddle. Whatever it is, make sure you do this before each nap as the repetition will help your baby to start to understand when it is time for sleep.
Your baby should now be relaxed and getting sleepy, so put them into their bassinet, make sure the room is completely dark and turn the white noise on. Start to settle them to sleep using a form of touch like patting, side-settling or stroking their hair. Be consistent with your approach. If your baby is upset, pick them up and soothe them. Once they are calm, place them back in their bassinet and try again.